Second Best
by hyuugahealer3
Summary: Part of a trade. Belarus, fed up with Lithuania never being properly protected decides to take matters into her own hands so that Russia will love her. Denmark however, has other plans for this duo.
1. Emotions

Pairings: BellaLiet, Former LietPol, Established DenNor, AmeriLiet if you squint, Brief mention of former unrequited BellaRus

Characters: Belarus, Lithuania, Poland (Mentioned), Russia (Mentioned), Denmark (Briefly), Czech (OC based on drawing on Himaruya's Blog, mentioned briefly), Ukraine, Romania (Briefly), Norway

Warnings: OC mentioned, Denmark being Denmark, slightly OOC Ukraine, Blood, head canon, slight historical inaccuracy.

Summary: Part of a trade. Belarus, finally fed up with how Lithuania is treated decides to take matters into her own hands, but Denmark has other plans for this duo.

Chapter: 1/3

Chapter Title: Emotions

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

Author's Note: I usually don't write BellaLiet as I don't actually like the pairing so I apologize if you end up liking this story because it's the only BellaLiet fic you will be getting out of me. (Probably).

* * *

It was a well-known fact that Lithuania was attracted to danger, or rather, that danger was attracted to him. No matter how careful he was danger would find him. It would always find him.

Even in his youth people had noticed and jumped at the chance to "protect" him. Poland, Russia, America…all had tried and all had ultimately failed to keep the danger at bay.

And she had watched through all of this.

She had watched as Poland tried and failed to protect the commonwealth belonging to him and his now-ex-husband. He had run from the threats and shied away in the face of danger. Their marriage had ended bitterly and though the two men remained close friends their people were still distant.

And all she could do was watch.

She watched as her brother, abused by his own boss, took it out on the satellites and encompassed territories. The whippings that even she had scars remaining from…she watched her brother break the spirit of former warriors. That union, she reflected, had ended bitterly for everyone involved.

And then there was America. He was a sweet enough man, but he was young, inexperienced, naïve. He had no idea how to protect a guest in his own home. That relationship had ended in economic depression and talk of "no hard feelings".

Oh, she had watched it all and she was appalled by their inability to protect. She was shocked, horrified, even disgusted.

Belarus sighed. It was high time she take matters into her own hands. She would protect Lithuania and then her brother would have to love her. Yes. It would work and she knew the perfect nation the put her plan into motion.

* * *

Denmark was sitting on the porch of the residence he shared with Norway when Belarus arrived. The car was missing from the drive – a sure sign Denmark was the only one home – and the Dane seemed to be nursing a black eye. 'So the couple just had a fight.' Belarus smirked. 'Perfect'.

Denmark sighed and put his phone down after leaving what was probably the thirtieth message begging for forgiveness. "Afternoon Denmark." The Dane jumped at the unexpected voice. His lover's violin partner was here?

"Nor's not home." He grunted. The girl shrugged.

"That's fine. I'm not here to talk to him." Denmark raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what he had expected to hear.

"Well what business could you possibly have with me?"

Belarus grinned darkly for a split second before going back to a calm frown. "I have a few questions to ask you. That's all."

Questions? This caught the Dane's attention. "What kind of questions?"

"Simple questions. Questions a simpleton like you could answer." Denmark clenched his fist.

"I'm not a simpleton."

Belarus could feel anger building in the man's voice. This was already working and she hadn't even asked the question yet. "Either way, it's a question that I'm sure you are capable of answering." She paused as if waiting for Denmark to speak. After a moment of silence she opened her mouth again. "What's it like?"

"What do you mean? What's what like?" The anxiety in Denmark's voice was starting to show. She'd struck a nerve. This was going much more smoothly than she had anticipated.

"What's it like knowing that Norway will never love you as much as you love him? That his emotions towards you will always be forced? That he can't stand to be living with you. How does it feel? Is it-"

"Shut up." Denmark cut the Belarusian off. "Don't act like you understand." Belarus froze catching the dark glint in Denmark's eyes. This wasn't part of the plan. She hadn't expected him to react like this. "Don't act like you understand the pain I've endured to get to this point. Don't act like you understand Norway."

CLAP!

She gasped. Denmark smirked and tightened his grip on the girl's wrist. "Don't act like you know anything about the two of us." He shoved her backwards off of the porch and onto the snow covered ground. Seemingly dissatisfied with the terror on the blonde's face he jumped down to her level. "You want to know what it feels like?" He hissed. It wasn't really a question, more of a command. Belarus tensed. "It hurts. It hurts like hell. But don't worry." Something else danced behind the reassurance. He jabbed two fingers into her forehead. "You'll understand soon." Belarus struggled to stand, to get away. This wasn't right.

"Danmark, stop."

She took the Dane's redirected attention to stumble to her feel only to collapse to her knees, waves of emotion over powering her.

"Nor, this isn't what it looks like!"

"I've heard more than enough of that today. What did you do to her?"

Belarus shivered. She was cold? No. That wasn't it. Something wet slipped down her cheeks. Tears. She was crying. But why? What reason did she have to cry? Looking up at her former attacker she was shocked to find him and his lover in a tight embrace. Norway whispering things to the Dane who simply shook his head.

Her heart hurt. But why?

Norway pulled away from the taller man and offered his hand to Belarus. "My apologies. Are you feeling yourself?" She took the hand. Norway helped her up. Denmark had turned away looking ashamed. "My idiot here overreacted. Though something tells me it wasn't unprovoked. What did you say to him?"

Belarus shook her head. Something felt wrong. Her chest felt tight, she felt as though she was missing something. Someone. "What…is Denmark's gift?" was the only response she could muster. Norway frowned. Normally it was a forbidden thing among the nations, to talk about their "gifts" the special abilities that each nation had at least one of, especially if they were not particularly close. Denmark looked at Norway as if to assure him it was alright.

"Empathy." He sighed. "He can control and change other people's emotions." Hesitation. "Why do you ask?"

The blonde shook her head again, taking a moment to brush the snow off of the skirt and readjust her shoe laces. So Denmark had made her feel like this. Then it was certain to wear off in a day or two. She just had to wait. The feelings would disappear and the image of the brunette that was flashing through her mind would fade. As though he could read her mind Denmark spoke. "It won't wear off." Her eyes widened. "I didn't change anything." He was lying wasn't he? He had to be lying. She'd never felt this longing at any point in her life so there was no way he hadn't changed her feelings.

"What did you do to her then?"

The ensuing silence was uncomfortable and she felt her chest tighten again.

"I enhanced what was already there" Denmark fidgeted. "It won't wear off. The longing." He paused waiting for Norway to react. The shorter man didn't move. His gaze drifted between the girl and his companion. "She wanted to know how it felt to love someone you can't have. So that's what she gets."

Norway looked at Belarus and forced a smile. "You'll have to fix this on your own. I'm afraid that if Dan decides he wants someone to feel a love they've been suppressing they're stuck."

"Fix this how?" She demanded. Norway turned to Denmark as though that held all the answers.

"Who do you love?"

"Brother." It was true wasn't it? Then why did she feel as though she was lying to herself.

"No. Who do you truly love?"

A tightening in her chest. A tear falling from her eyes. A single name flashed across her mind. 'Lithuania, I'm in love with…Lithuania…' She had to get to Ukraine. She had to talk to her sister. She had to get away from this. She couldn't be in love with the brunette. She only wanted to protect him so that brother would love her. Right?

She closed her eyes blinking away tears and ran. The name still flashed across her mind over and over repeating itself.

_Lithuania_

_You're in love with Lithuania._


	2. Collapse

It had been a week. A week since she had visited Denmark. A week since Norway had told her these feelings were her own. A week since England had assured her there was no magic at work. A week since Romania had insisted there was no curse to break. A week since Czech had told her the only solution was to follow her heart. A week since she started hating herself. An entire week.

And now, a week into the suffocating emotions she found herself sitting on the sofa in the front room of her sister's house, fists clenched and eyes down turned seeking advice.

"Tea?" Ukraine offered.

"No thank you." The older woman set a mug on the table despite the decline before taking a seat across from the blonde.

"Very well." A pause. "What's on your mind?" It was a practised question, one the two of them had rehearsed for centuries. Belarus considered for a moment supplying her usual practised answer of 'nothing' but something stronger forced out words of its own choosing.

"I think I'm in love." Ukraine let out an audible sigh.

"You're not in love Natalia. We've been over this."

"Not with Ivan."

The silence that followed was unbearable. She could practically feel the gaze her sister was giving her.

"If not with Ivan then-"

"Lithuania." Belarus bit her tongue at its betrayal.

"What?"

She clenched her fists and lowered her eyes. "I think I'm in love." A pause. "With Lithuania." Ukraine stood up and shook her head.

"You bothered Denmark didn't you?" The lack of response was all she needed to confirm her fears. "Natalia you ought to know better, but if it's just Denmark then we can reverse this. We can fix these false emotions just like-"

"We can't." Another silence.

"Wh-What do you mean we can't? All he can do is alter your emotions it's not as though he-"

"He didn't alter anything." Belarus stood up. "He didn't alter anything." She repeated. "He knew it was there. This feeling. It's always been there. He just…" She trailed off.

"Made you aware of it." Belarus nodded. "We can't fix anything then…because nothing is broken." The only noise that followed was the rustling of fabric as Belarus pulled on her coat to leave. "Natalia-"

"Just stop."

"Sister I-"

"I said stop! I know I messed up! I know it's my fault! I know you can't fix this! So let me fix it!"

"Do you know how?"

Belarus could feel the prickling of tears forming under her eye lids. No. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She didn't cry. Nothing had any right to make her cry. Especially not this. Especially not-

_Lithuania_

"Natalia. Answer me." There was a command in her sister's voice that jolted Belarus away from her thoughts. "Do you know how to fix this?"

"No." She admitted. "I have no idea."

"Then let me help you."

"You can't help me."

_Only he can save you._

"Shut up!" She snapped.

"I didn't say anything."

"Not you. I…I need to leave." And with that she fled from the house. Leaving Ukraine alone, wondering just what the Danish man had done to her sister.

_You're hesitating. _

"Shut up. You're not real."

_If I'm as fictional as you claim then why do you respond to me?_

"You're taunting me." Belarus brought her fist to the wood of the Lithuanian man's door.

"Yes. Hold on." A swift reply. He'd grown more confident over the years away from her brother it seemed.

_You've rejected him all these years. He's probably given up on you._

"Shut up." The voice in her head, she'd heard it somewhere before. The door creaked open.

"Oh! Belarus! I wasn't expecting you." Belarus frowned. Lithuania's auburn hair was tied back in a messy pony-tail, his sleeves were rolled up and-

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Ack! Not the cake!" So she'd interrupted his…baking…interesting. "Come in come in. Don't mind the smoke that's the cake. Oh gods Russia's going to kill me."

"Russia?" He was making a cake for Russia? "Why would brother kill you?"

Lithuania looked up. Something was different. He seemed…startled almost.

"Ah, no reason. I've already said more than I should."

_Well, it seems you're too late. Russia already got to him._

"I said to keep your god damn mouth shut!"

"E-Excuse me?"

"Not you."

Lithuania frowned. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine." She replied a bit too quickly. 'Yes, just fine. If being in love with someone who's given up on you is considered "fine"'

"Natalia, look, it's really important that I get this done so let's just hurry this up alright?"

"Hurry what u-" She was cut off by his lips against her own. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was…no…it wasn't possible. The hundreds of years she'd had on this earth had taught her that much. Nothing was ever this simple. She was again interrupted when he pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry. I know you'd rather-"

"I need to leave." She needed to get away. She had to get away. She didn't have a choice. If the voice was right…if Lithuania and Russia were really together…then she had just done something horrible. She had just done one thing she swore she would never.

_You need to stop running from your problems my daughter. _

That's right. The voice. The voice she kept hearing. That was who it belonged to. Kievan Rus. "Shut up. What the hell do you know? You've been dead for over a century!"

"Natalia?"

More tears. There was so much concern in the way he said her name. How had she been so blind to it before? How had she gone so long without realizing? They'd been on dates before but all she'd done was break his fingers or mock him while he wilfully ignored it.

He'd always gotten in the way of her and her brother. He'd always gotten in the way of everything she wanted. So she hated him. She hated his existence. She'd hated the air he breathed. And yet…

"I love you."

"What?"

She lifted her head to look Lithuania straight in the eyes. "I love you. I love you and I hate it. I love you and I don't want to. I don't want to love you. But I don't have a choice. Because I love you."

"Natalia-"  
"I'm sick of pretending to be someone I'm not. I didn't realize how much I was hiding until you…" She swallowed. "Until you kissed me. But I get it. You're tired of trying to catch me. I'll go. I'm sorry I ever caused you trouble."

"Natalia. Listen to me."

"What?" She barked. This wasn't fair. She had just poured her emotions out at the man and he was already trying to turn her down. "What do you want with me?"

His lips pressed against hers in another kiss. A few moments of silence passed between them before he pulled away. "aš tave myliu."

She took a step back. "No. You don't. It's not that simple. It's never that simple."

"Natalia-"

"Don't lie to me!" A moment of silence passed.

_It seems I've done what I was called here for…Please do take care of the boy._ A sharp pain shot through her body. The world blurred for a moment and she fell to her knees trembling.

And all that she could hear was the worried call of her name before everything went dark.


End file.
